Sarah Palin's Amazing Feat: The Transformation of GOP Leaders Into Stepford Wives

In the aftermath of John McCain's whirlwind announcement of Sarah Palin to be our next VEEP, I find it fascinating how the Republicans have come forth from their various covens transfixed with zeal, supporting the choice in a manner that can only be explained by the fact they've been transformed into Stepford Republicans.

On TV panel discussion after another, no matter what obvious shortcoming of Sarah Palin is presented, these so-called knowledgeable and pure Americans have a ready answer no matter how illogical.

It doesn't matter whether it's about Sarah Palin's competence and overall experience or the unusual fact of yesterday's announcement that her 17-year-old daughter Bristol is pregnant with child. Let me say first that I don't give a damn about her daughter's condition, which doesn't relate to her mother's ability -- even as a mother. We live in 2008, and kids will be kids. That her mother is supportive is lovely. That Bristol wants to keep the child is her own business.

However, the word "hypocrisy" does come to mind in that the same sort of constituency that has been cheering with the news that far-right Sarah Palin will cleanse John McCain of any vestigial moderate viewpoints and who regularly accuses Hollywood and supposed left-leaning media outlets of ruining our nation's communities has come to her defense as if what happened was perfectly normal in any red blooded American family.

If this had happened to one of Barack Obama's daughters (presumably much later on) or to Chelsea Clinton or Amy Carter, there would have been cries of "See what we've been saying. It's the permissive society the Democrats have been purveying."

But not so for leaders such as Congresswoman Michele Bachmann (R-Minnesota), who looks as if she took an overdose of Botox, possessing a smile that never relaxes -- not even when James Carville excoriates her faux viewpoints. Ms. Bachmann cannot be dissuaded -- even in the abstract -- that anything unpleasant or even imperfect can be ascribed to the likes of Sarah Palin.

She cheers repetitiously that Palin's daughter will have the child. She accuses Carville and other men of gender bias when they correctly cite Palin's deficiencies. And as her closer she cites, with an incredulous display of Three-card Monty, that Sarah Palin has more executive experience than either Obama or his running mate Joe Biden. When other panelists wondered how she could compare Palin's experience to six-term U.S. Senator Joe Biden, she kept chanting the mantra, executive experience -- that's what she means. She conveniently doesn't include the GOP presumed standard bearer, John McCain, who, as a career legislator, would likewise be subordinate to Sarah Palin's credentials based on Bachmann's standard that a six-year mayor of a population 8,000 town in Alaska and a year and a half of governor of our nation's 47th largest state is proof positive of what this country really needs.

And it's not only Bachmann. GOP strategist Leslie Sanchez is amazing, too. When Larry King asked repeatedly if Palin was the best choice, Sanchez kept avoiding a yes or no answer. King, unusually aggressive, shouted out the possibilities: What about Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas? But Sanchez dodged the bullet every time, saying simply Palin was what was needed and would be great, conveniently never admitting -- not once -- whether she was absolutely the best. How could she?

But the Stepford analogy is not sexist and is not only about GOP women. Tucker Bounds, the McCain spokesman, who is, by the way, a man was asked repeatedly by CNN's Campbell Brown to name one example of Palin's experience to make her commander-in-chief. When he repeated that she was commander of the state national guard, Campbell asked time and again for one example of what she'd actually done in that capacity. Just one example, she kept interjecting as he failed miserably to do so, repeating ad nausea the fact that Palin had been a commander and had so much experience. It was alternately infuriating and exhilarating to watch, as CNN commentators don't always pursue the obvious and sometimes fawn over their guests, but to her credit Campbell Brown didn't let it go until the answer was palpably obvious in that there was no answer at all.

Is this the best our nation can do? That's what James Carville mused amidst the pseudo calm smirking and continual rude interruptions of Michele Bachmann. When he asked why Maine Senator Olympia Snowe wouldn't have made a better choice with her foreign policy experience and years in the Senate, Bachmann could only repeat the script with which the Stepford Republican had been programmed, trying to make it appear Carville was against women in power. When he reminded her that he'd been for Clinton and asked how she could possibly compare Palin with Hillary Clinton, Bachmann continued her quest for the Guinness record for longest grin and said some non sequitur about how the two women were nothing alike and she was glad of that fact, leaving out the obvious discrepancy in their respective resumes.

It's understandable how the Stepford Republicans are all circling the wagons to undo the damage wrought by the head of their ticket, but one can only hope that at some point -- perhaps at the convention -- perhaps a bit later on during the campaign trail -- a little boy will shout out at the top of his lungs at the end of one of Governor Palin's speeches, "Look, Mommy, look Daddy, the empress is wearing no clothes!"

Comments

[Apov]

I see I'm not the only one that had the thought of Stepford wives as I watched the Palin speech.
Real scary, isn't it?

It's really interesting to see the Republican talking heads speak out of both sides of their mouth.
Jon Stewart's program was a real hoot in showing these fools' B-S.

No kool aid for me, thank you.

[RealHRCFansVoteObama]

Let's say we even dignify the executive experience claim, wouldn't the next question logically be 'how did W's experience help him?'

Why doesn't the Obama campaign go back to emphasizing knowledge and judgment - something McCain seems not to have used in his pick for the person next in line to push the red button.

[fairwitness]

Need it be said that, with the stakes as high as they are, this is full-scale political war? The Republicans know, of course, the weakness, failings, idiocies and crimes of their leaders and would-be leaders. They know they have no issues on which to win any argument, can't even answer the most logical, reasonable of questions without shouting war cries. But they fight and, in their tribal defensiveness and aggression, mostly win. They have now 8 years of experience during which they got away with massive deception, destruction of our government and it very foundations and transferred massive wealth to their own tribe, impoverishing most others. They know the smell of blood in the water and it makes them go for the jugular.

The question is: do the Democrats know this is all-out political war? I think that's in some doubt.

If not, they will again watch as another 8 years are stolen by felons who have no conscience and no inhibition at perpetrating the most heinous of political and social crimes.

[madhatter123]

Great article on what the Dems need to do.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/george-lakoff/the-palin-choice-and-the_b_123012.html

[derik]

Yup, if our liberal raised children end up fornicating they would be rapidly classified as sinful (since even us liberals like to fornicate too). I think us liberals don't run around feeling guilty (and sinful) when we fornicate. In my opinion, the sin and guilt is pretty what the whole evangelical gig is all about. Without guilt they would evolve into extinction. I believe such things like this makes the separation of church and state a good thing. Then, the baby would be a non-issue (or at least, a family matter) in this political campaign.
Among other things, I am somewhat perplexed why they announce that a teen marriage will happen. Does that magically mean that the baby will have a father that will nurture the baby?

[Zingaro Zorro]

In mentioning Michele Bachman within the context of an essay concerning the incompetence of J. McClain, the link between false piety, false religion, and mindless obedient sheep has been established, covered with the thin skin of religious hypocrisy & glamor.

[tlgeiger62]

This entire fiasco with Palin is a result of republican arrogance. They figured she's a hockey mom, mother of 5, lives in Alaska...what could she POSSIBLY have done wrong. This article from the Achorage Daily News shows how VERY little they did to vet her...http://www.adn.com/sarah-palin/story/513143.html

[thenextquagmire]

Not amazing but intriguing. No country does politics like America. Republicans will always be hypocrites. If you placed a bag of cheetos next to McCain, the transformation of GOP Leaders Into Stepford husbands and wives would be just as amazing. To me, not surprised. At least, it gives the GOP a little taste of gender equality, even though its phony and they have no idea how to deal with it. Hence, the female mouthpieces on tv supporting the unattractive choice of Palin. Congresswoman Michele Bachmann plays the gender card , while disparaging Hillary's accomplishment, laughable. To hear a young female republican strategist make the case that the executive experience of Palins could be put in the same level of Condoleeza Rice's, was astonishing and pathetic. They are unraveling into empty suits. They are all make Palin look very unattractive. Her background is becoming more unattractive. Republicans are becoming more unattractive by the minute.

[ghenry]

This cannot be happening. This is so unreal. Are the American people really going to vote for this? There are no words to describe how transparently wrong this all is. Wake up America, there is something going wrong before your very eyes!!